The Board of Education budget process begins in October of each year with work being performed by Administrators and the Board’s Business Manager. The Superintendent’s recommended budget is presented to the Board in February. The Board’s budget request is presented to the Board of Finance in April. 

Regular meetings of the Board of Education are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month at a time to be designated by the Board chair. Generally, the public portion of the meeting begins at 7:00 pm and the locations of the meetings rotate among all of the schools. An annual schedule of meetings is posted at Town Hall in January and on the School District website. 

Connecticut law provides that a Board of Education may exclude the public from its meetings for five reasons only, as follows:

1. Discussion concerning the appointment, employment, performance, evaluation, health or dismissal of a public officer or employee, provided that such individual may require that discussion be held at an open meeting;
2. Strategy and negotiations with respect to pending claims and litigation;
3. Matters concerning security strategy or the deployment of security personnel, or devices affecting public security;
4. Discussion of the selection of a site or the lease, sale or purchase of real estate by a political subdivision of the state when publicity regarding such site, lease, sale, purchase, or construction would cause a likelihood of increased price until such time as all of the property has been acquired or all proceedings or transactions concerning same have been terminated or abandoned; or
5. Discussion of any matter which would result in the disclosure of public records or the information contained therein described in subsection (b) of section 1-19 of the Connecticut General statutes.

No matter may be discussed by the Board that does not appear on the agenda. 

Board of Education meetings are not public meetings. Rather, they are the business meetings of the Board held in public. The Board takes the opportunity to listen to public comments; however, it is often constrained by the agenda and other factors from responding to the public.